Thread: Pimsleur, good or bad?

I would like to know about the Pimsleur learning program. I am destined to go to Russia in six months and I have no experience with the Russian language. I have many friends and do not need to acquire to know the Russian written language, though I will learn from a book.

I want to communicate with them as fluent or as understandable as possible. I have ordered over hundred dollars worth of audio cassette and books such as The New Penguin Russian Course (Which I recommend anyone who needs to learn the written language) And Barron's Express Track to Russian (Which I would recommend NOT to buy since it says it is a self teaching program for beginners, but it has no English!). All of them have failed, and my money has been burnt.

I wonder about Pimsleur since its has been under contract with the government for over five years to provide the material to local agencies. And I wonder if Pimsleur is that great, and helps with fluency?

I am a high school student and Pimsleur is known for its expensive cost. And for me to raise 200 dollars would be four weeks of work. (I work part time at McDonalds.)

So am I wondering if it is such a great program to use? Is it worth the 200 bucks? Which programs would I start out with? Any problems with Pimsleur? What are your experiences with working with Pimsleur? If you would recommend anything else? Most of all, and most helpful. If anyone owns the package and would burn me a copy of the audio of the Russian program. (Which would bring you good Kharma and help you in your next life! )

So if guilting you with faith didn't work, just reply and help me out!

Yours Truly,
Kareina47

When you say the stuff you have already has failed, what do you mean? How long did you use them for? What level of Russian do you want to have by the time to go OS?

try downloading one or two units and see what you think

i got nothing from pimsluer that i hadn't already tought myself, and why are u going to russia? are u representing your local mcdonalds union?

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

i got nothing from pimsluer that i hadn't already tought myself, and why are u going to russia? are u representing your local mcdonalds union?

That's the first good thing you've said Doggy.

To Dogboy: Are you making fun of her job or what?

By the way, most McDonalds' do not allow unions and will fight attempts to organize with tooth and nail. I applaud any local union that actually managed to beat them on the issue, but the numbers are very, very small.

I saw a great sign in a shop, it said, Please don't brake my windows, I am a locally owned store. McDonnalds is 3 km's down that way, and star bucks is 1 KM that way.

I know when people here get pissed off with the Americans, Maccas is the first to cop it.

How accurate are the lessons in Pimsler dogboy, as in, there pronunciation is accurate or not?

well, i only bought (downloaded) 2 diffrent lessons of pimsluer... yea the speaking was correct, i guess, since its supposobly native rooskiys, but i just remember thinking (like so many text books i have seen) Nobody talks like this ! the one i remember is when the lady says (nyet ya ni ponymayoo pa anglisyskiy) and the dude says (ya nyemnogo ponimaoo pa russkiy) sorry im too lazy to type in russian... pimsluer is good for like business trips. but i got made fun of for saying куда ты едёшь or somthing, when really all they say is ты куда. so... i dunno u just have to talk to native speakers as much as u can... but i think its crap they charge so much for pimlsuer. and i mean i cant even pronounce pimpslayer (hehe)

yeah but you gotta learn all the correct stuff first before you venture into slang. i thought it was quite good for listening, even if it is stuff you allready know

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

but i got made fun of for saying куда ты едёшь or somthing, when really all they say is ты куда. )

OR SOMETHING?

maybe because you would say куда ты идёшь? unless you were referring to a specific trip by vehicle? Most russians would just say where are you going using idti instead of exat unless they were referring to vehiclular travel.

lol, some people just cant cope with dogboys fun loving ways... . i wasn't made fun of they simply giggled and thought it was funny and corrected me the "right" way, right away away, because, nobody says that, its fairly proper, they say ты куда, it seems like its fairly close to slang to me. just like nobody in english nobody says " she called me on the telephone" its like yea, i talked to her on the phone, and even when u did say On the phone u wouldn't say tellephone, even though it is телефон in russian, if they said that to some english friends, i know i would get a kick out of it, well cuz NOONE says telephone, but i would also tell them тебе надо просто говореть "фонь" :P

yerh but as a stupied Australian I could get away with speaking like that for awhile....

1. I say things like "<someone> called me on the telephone."
2. Even if these are dumb grammatical rules that real Russians don't use, it's better to learn them and look like a dork who understands the language than to not know them and sound like a native street urchin.

haha, true mike. Theres nothing worse than a foreigner trying to say "G'Day" or "No Worries Mate", particularly Americans, Just as Australians should not attempt to say "Good Buddy"

Throw another shrimp on the barbie, z80.

I bought the pimsleur level 1 course a while back. I liked it, but i haven't had the time to sit and listen to it for 30 minutes a time lately. I picked mine up on ebay for a little over $100 late last year, it was for the cd's too.
I can't say if its accurate or not, i don't really have any natives to practice on to find out.

Funny you should say that mike, because we don't call them shrimp, we call them prawns.

Dogboys' comments remind me of a drunken person rambling. No offence Dogboy, its not really a good or bad thing, just funny and entertaining to read.

I beleave that everyone in life has something to contribute. Some people are clear and precise about what they want to contribute, while others only contribute something by "accident". Regardless, every one contributes, and for that we should be tolerant of everyone else.

I'm sick of everyone giving out personal attacks all the time. I get enough of that at work.